THE SPORTS HUB

A matter of grass: types of grass and its characteristics in Futbol Salou’s pitches.

04 Januar 2019

When we talk about high performance, grass pitch quality can be as decisive as the technical skills of the player who is guiding the ball. It isn’t a new debate. However, modern technology allows us to study with precision all the variables that are involved in the game. In fact, grass has been proved to be a key factor.

AtComplex Esportiu Futbol Salouwe have 11 professional football pitches: 2 natural grass pitches, 7 artificial pitches and 2 hybrid turf pitches which is the latest technology used in the best stadiums in the world. Do you want to know their characteristics?

Natural grass pitches

It’sthe most common grass used on professional pitchesas well as the one thatrequires more control of the ballas this type of surfaceenables switch playing. Despite hybrid turf pitches are becoming more popular, especially after clubs such asFC Barcelonahave installed it,natural grassis still the preferred option among players. Its main virtues are:

Absorbs heat.

Reduces temperature changes.

Improves air quality as it interferes in the production of O2 and takes in CO2.

Absorbs SO2, NO2 and other contaminating gases.

It is alive and interacts with the environment.

However, the main natural grass’ handicap is its high maintenance cost.

Artificial turf pitches

Artificial turfallows a cleaner way of guiding the ball and reduces sudden ball bounce as it is a uniform surface and it barely wears away. This type of turfabsorbs impacts better and allows a greater turning power.

At the beginning, artificial turf pitches were hard and uncomfortable to play on, but innovation has brought a new concept of artificial turfas it doesn’t have anything to do with the reputation from the past. For example, the system used at our pitches is FIFA certified. The fibers used are soft and players can land without any risk of suffering lesions on their skin. The system has the following advantages:

Less loss of rubber thanks to the vertical filtration of water.

High capacity of drainage, despite the rain.

Less surface temperature, as it doesn’t have tarmac.

Higher resistance due to its density.

It doesn’t get damaged during the games.

100% flat and homogeneous surface.

Hybrid grass pitch

Thelatest revolution in the sector are the hybrid grass pitches, thatcombine natural with synthetic fibersto obtain the best of both types of grass. The result is a grassalmost 100% naturalthatneeds less maintenance. It can absorb players’ muscle overloads and reduce the risk of injuries.

Is it something new? Not at all.Its origin goes back to the 90s in the British city of Huddersfield. They needed a pitch tough enough to resist the wear of football and rugby games played at the same period. However,it became popular during the World Cup in South Africa, when this technology was used for the first time. Its main advantages are:

Allows for more playing hours

A more precise bound of the ball

Reduces the risk of injuries

If you want to try it out,come to train with your team at Complex Esportiu Salou.